As you can probably guess, the Museum Quarter is my favourite part of Amsterdam. It’s the area of the Museumplein (Museum Square) and surrounding streets. Some of the best Dutch museums are located there. But it’s also a great place to purchase some of the modern Dutch design and art.
Museum Quarter in Amsterdam
Museumplein
Museumplein is the biggest square in Amsterdam and one of the largest green areas in the city. It’s trendy among the Amsterdammers during the summer days when you’ll see many of them enjoying in sunbathing or having a picnics there.
A prevalent sight on it is ‘ I Amsterdam Letters’ , where you’ll see many tourists taking pictures of them with a Rijksmuseum in a back.
However, the other side of the square is even more beautiful to me. A fountain with often some kind of art interventions in it. During the winter it’s becoming a popular ice skating rink. And a place of one of the most beautiful Christmas markets in the city.
Museums at the Museumplein
Five museums are located at the Museumplein: Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijkmuseum, Diamond Museum and a Moco Museum.
Rijksmuseum
Rijksmuseum is one of the most famous museums in the world and definitely the most important Dutch museum. It’s home to some of the world-famous Dutch paintings. Its highlight is the Gallery of Honour with a collection of paintings made by Dutch Masters from the Golden Age. Rembrandt’s Night Watch and Vermeer’s Milkmaid are just the most famous among them.
Are you planning a visit to the Rijksmuseum? Check out our Rijksmuseum art tour here! Or you can get your Rijksmuseum entrance ticket at the link here!
Van Gogh Museum
Museum with the biggest collection of Vincent’s paintings, drawings and letters is a place that shouldn’t be missed in Amsterdam. It’s a great place to learn about Van Gogh because his paintings are displayed chronologically and you can see so well all the changes he went through.
I would definitely recommend buying a ticket on line so you don’t have to queue in front of the museum for hours.
Would you like to hear Vincent’s story through his letters and explained by the art historian? Check out the Van Gogh Museum Tour here.
Stedelijk Museum
Stedelijk Museum is a treat for all the modern and contemporary art enthusiasts. Having a great temporary exhibition organised, it’s also a wonderful place to see some of the best modern Dutch painters. De Stijl and Cobra were the two most famous Dutch art movements in the 20th Century. But, there are so much more you can see in the Stedelijk Museum.
*TIP: Across the street from the Stedelijk Museum is one of my favourite restaurants in that part of the city: Blushing Amsterdam. They have delicious lunches, but I especially loved them because of the wonderful smoothies they have.
Get your ticket for the Stedelijk Museum on a link here.
Read more: Stedelijk Museum Highlights
Moco Museum
Moco is the youngest museum in Amsterdam. However, it already became one of the most popular museums in the city. They are organising a wonderful temporary exhibition there, with Banksy, Warhol and Lichtenstein being just some of the artists they had on a display.
Get your ticket for the Moco Museum on a link here.
Would you like to visit museums in other parts of the city, as well? Here is my list of the best museums in Amsterdam.
Diamond Museum
Maybe better-called diamond shop then a museum, this is the fifth museum at the Museumplein. They have a small exhibition about diamond cutting and the history of diamonds. But then, there is a huge shop area where you can purchase some of these beautiful diamonds. It could get very tempting, I should say.
Get your ticket for the Diamond Museum on a link here.
Art around the Museumplein
Many streets around the Museumplein were named after the famous Dutch painters from the Golden Ages. You can see reproductions of some of their paintings on the buildings or in windows of shops there. However, the area around the Museumplein is also a perfect place to buy some art.
Art shopping in Nieuwe Spiegelstraat
A place to go if you would like to purchase some art is Nieuwe Spiegelstraat. Located just behind the Rijksmuseum, art and antiquities shops are there from the end of the 19th Century. You can find anything from the 17th Century Delft Blue porcelain, some old prints to the work of contemporary Dutch designers. It’s absolutely a perfect place for buying souvenirs in Amsterdam.
Museum Quarter is definitely a place to go for any art enthusiast visiting Amsterdam. From classical Dutch Masters to contemporary artists and designers, you can find them all there.
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